HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL - Morning Tea at Multicultural Day 2021
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HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL
Morning Tea at Multicultural Day 2021
HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL
29 Bridge Road, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO Box 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140
Telephone: (02) 9764 3611 Facsimile: (02) 9746 3614
Email: homebushbo-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website: www.homebushbo-h.schools.nsw.edu.au
Principal Mr Kevin Elgood Parent Teacher Meetings Parent Teacher interviews were recently held very successfully over the phone for Year 11 and 12. Parent Teacher interviews for other Years will also be conducted by phone and held in early Term 3: • Year 9 and 10 Parent Teacher interviews will be held on Monday 19 July 2021 • Year 7 and 8 Parent Teacher interviews will be held on Thursday 29 July 2021 Bookings will be made online with access to our online booking system one week before. An Email will be sent to parents with more information when the bookings are open. If your contact details have changed, please contact the school on 9764-3611 to update your details. Subject Selections It is that exciting time of year when students in Years 8 and 10 are presented with a wide variety of subject options for their next stage of learning. Students are fortunate at Homebush Boys High School that a broad curriculum, offering many options, is available, allowing students to pursue their interests and choose courses which suit their abilities. Students in Years 8 and 10 have been given subject selection books for 2022 and it was great to see so many parents at our recent parent and student information evening on Tuesday 22 June. For students entering Year 11 2022, my advice regarding subject choice is to choose courses: • which you are capable of doing well, • which interest you, • which you want to study and • which match your career aspirations and needs. Students need to be realistic about their career choices and about their subject choices. The pattern of study needs to be selected carefully as most courses extend over two years. I cannot stress enough the importance of following this advice. Often we see decisions made about subject choice for Year 11, or discontinuation of subjects in Year 12, based on misunderstandings or myths about the methods used in determining the HSC or ATAR. It is important that students and parents seek accurate information before making these important decisions. Interviews have been allocated for all Year 10 Students and their parents to discuss and select their courses with senior teachers at the beginning of next term, please check your appointment time and contact Mrs Dalamagas if there is a problem with your time. For more information I can direct you to a couple of valuable websites: The HSC marks are determined by the NESA (National Education Standards Authority) and this is independent of the ATAR calculation. Information about the HSC and reporting of marks and standards can be found on the NESA website: https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/home. This site contains information on all Board courses. It also contains syllabuses, course support materials, past HSC papers and HSC examiners’ comments. There is also a parents’ page.
The ATAR, or Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, is calculated by the Universities Admissions Centre. They have recently released a Technical Report explaining the processes used to obtain the ATAR for those interested. It can be found at http://www.uac.edu.au/atar/ . The report is very technical and people need to beware of putting too much emphasis on hastily derived conclusions! Consider this information carefully, and please seek advice if you have questions. The Universities Admissions Centre website is: www.uac.edu.au For students entering Year 9 2022 it is important to choose elective courses that students are interested in, motivated to achieve in and are capable of achieving in. It is an opportunity for students to experience subjects that they would like to try. None of these courses, apart from Languages and Music, are prerequisites for further study. Term 2 Holidays After a very busy term Staff and students are looking forward to a well-deserved break to relax, re-energise and prepare for Term 3. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a safe and relaxing break. For Year 12 students, I know this is really a study break, a chance to go over all that you have been learning to date for the Trial Exams in Weeks 3 and 4 of Term 3. You have the potential for great results, a strong effort now will set you up well for your HSC exams in Term 4. Good Luck. The current COVID outbreaks are of great concern, I hope that the current situation settles quickly so that we are operating normally when we return in Term 3. School resumes for students on Tuesday 13 July.
Ms Catherine Player Deputy Principal (Year 8 & 11) As Semester One/Term 2 comes to an end, the school celebrated with Multicultural Day. As this is only my second year at the school, and with Covid restrictions last year, this was my first Multicultural Day and all I can say is wow, what a wonderful day. From the amazing costumes worn by staff and students, to the great talent on display in the concerts and the combined Year 12 dance with HBHS and SGHS at the formal assembly, to the delicious food at the lunchtime spectacular, it was a great event. It was so good to see all the students proudly working on their cultural food stalls and working with each other to make yummy food and enjoy the event. Thank you to all the staff, parents and families who supported the day, worked on the stalls and cooked the amazing food. It really shows what a great and diverse community we have at HBHS and I feel lucky to be part of it.
Year 8 On Monday Week 10, Year 8 will had a special assembly to discuss their Elective Choices in Year 9 and 10. For the first time they will be able to choose two subjects that they want to study over the next two years. They will still complete mandatory studies in English, Mathematics, Science, History/Geography and PDHPE and then two of their own elective choices. They will be given a subject book and I encourage all parents to take the time to read this with their sons and discuss their options. On Tuesday 22 June there was a Parent information evening at School where all necessary information was communicated. Staff were on hand afterwards for parents who had any questions about the choices on offer. It was a great evening and a wonderful chance to talk with parents. It is an exciting time for Year 8 who, for the first time, can choose what they want to study. I look forward to working with the boys on their choices. Year 11 Year 11 have been doing some amazing things both in the classroom and through their extra-curricular activities. Some of the recent achievements by Year 11 include: • William Knight was named speaker of the Day at the Model United Nations Assembly at Parliament House. • Amir Yatim and Ibrahim El Cheikh talked for the CHS Rugby League team with Yatim making the squad. • Jack Webster won the all-round gold medal at the National Gymnastics Championships held In Queensland. • Tali Lea was chosen as a youth Ambassador for the NRL from the In League in Harmony Program. • Kade Humphreys-Jones being selected in the CHS 16 years Rugby Union team. These are just some achievements of our talented Year 11 students in recent times. Congratulations to these students and all Year 11 for their great start to their senior career. I am proud of all of them. Leadership Our Prefects were recently invited to ACU to take part in the John Hawley Leadership program by The Honourable Fiona Martin MP. Students from many schools were there and it was a great learning experience for our Prefects who go from strength to strength as leaders. Our SRC held a Donut Day fund raiser this term and will use the funds to help improve the school environment, and our Interact club continue to volunteer at the Fig tree café and run Breakfast club. Amazing leadership from all groups who demonstrate the fine young men here at HBHS.
Ms Jennie Dalamagas Deputy Principal (Year 7 & 10) Term 2 has been extremely busy with many initiatives that allow our students to excel in various areas of the curriculum and education arena. Some of these include: Science lessons with students from Marie Bashir Public School It was great to see our young scientists from Marie Bashir Public School being inspired by our students this term. A great initiative that provided Year 6 students an insight into physics and chemistry with some help from our Head Teacher Science, Mr Singh. Year 10 Assembly Our Community Nurse, Nerida and our Student Support Officer (SSO), Lauren presented the dangers of using drugs, including smoking and vaping, to our students. Nerida is employed to be at Homebush Boys High School every Tuesday and students are able to self-refer to see her during the day. She is a qualified and registered nurse and not an educationalist. The presentation was one that, hopefully, will encourage the boys to make good choices in regards to saying NO to drug use and smoking.
Multicultural Day An amazing day which showcased the diversity of our school. It was great to be able to share this wonderful day with our local and wider community. A huge thank you to the parents who assisted in the organisation and for cooking their cultural delicacies. The following pictures speak more than words.
Year 10 Subject Selection It is that time of the year again when Year 10 start to prepare for their future. Many students will move into their senior studies in 2022, but others will decide to leave to gain apprenticeships in various trades. During Week 9 our Year 10 students had an opportunity to hear from Head Teachers in regards to courses being offered in Preliminary and HSC years. This was followed by an evening with parents and an EXPO to gain a deeper insight of the requirements of entering their senior education. Interviews with Year 10 were also conducted and recommendations were made. Our students are clearly provided a great pathway to success and definitely given sound advice to set them up to succeed.
Mr. Chabes Elaro
Rel. Deputy Principal (Year 9 & 12)
Year 12
Students and teachers have been very busy in the latter half of Term 2. Year 12 are busy
finishing their courses and having their final assessment tasks before the Trial HSC Exams
early in term 3. It is also reporting season. This, also, means teachers are setting and marking
exams and assessments in preparation for the reports for all the other year groups.
Ultimately, term 2 finishes with a focus on student achievements and the recognition of these achievement.
As well, the various competitions are in full swing; chess, debating, public speaking, knockout sports, zone sports,
etc. Add into the mix, the school’s annual Multicultural Day and you get the picture.
The Blue and Maroon Awards are being rewarded now. These prestigious awards are based on effort in all courses.
Every student can be recognised with one of these awards
twice each year. Whilst not every student can come first in a
course or a class, every student CAN do their best in every
lesson in every subject. Years 12 winners were recognised
earlier this term. The rest of the year groups will have
assemblies where the winners of these awards will be
recognised.
Year 12 teachers are finishing off their respective HSC courses and
ensuring that their students are prepared for their Trial HSC
Exams starting in week 3, term 2. It is a busy time for all students.
That is why preparation and being organised are so important for
every exam. A big thank you to Mrs Kumaralingam and Ms Karas
who have supported their cohort so well. They have held
afternoon homework sessions and communicated with parents about expectations. A reminder to all Year 12
students that attendance to all lessons before and after the trials are crucial for HSC success. Students need to,
also, be in uniform at all times, especially when attending the Trial Exams and the HSC. As well, Term 3 is a very
busy term which will culminate with activities week and graduation in week 10.
Year 9
Year 9 have also been busy with leadership programs, guest speakers on assembly and
lots of opportunities for student involvement. Many boys collected money for the
Salvation Army during the Red Shield Appeal and Year 9 students were heavily involved
in the recent Multicultural Day as performers and helpers on the various stalls. A big
thanks needs to go to Ms Coutinho who has organised many of the events and her
continued support of students in her cohort.
Further, the various Debating competitions are still in
progress. The Year 11 team, coached by Ms Sofy, had strong
wins over North Sydney Girls HS and Concord HS recently.
The Year 7 (coached by Ms Khan), Year 8 (coached by
Mr Lee), Year 9 and Year 10 (coached by Ms Karas) have
started their respective competitions very well and we are
looking forward to some great results and excellent
performances by the teams. A huge thanks to all the
coaches for their time and effort with their respective
teams. As well, 3 Year 11 students represented the school
in the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) on the
last Saturday in May. An article later in this edition will
provide more information, but the highlight of the day
was William Knight in Year 11 winning the best speaker
award. There were 10 schools in the competition. Well
done to William, Avi and Samee.
Finally, the best part of this job is working with all the great
teachers we have across the school. From me, a huge thanks
to all the staff for their hard work and commitment to their
students and to the school. It has been a long year, but working
together makes our job that much easier and so much more
enjoyable.
BBB Data for Semester 1, 2021
Now we are nearing the mid-point of the academic year, let’s have a look at some of the positive BBB data up to
this point.
The enormous efforts and the many achievements by students in the classroom have been consistently recognised
by teachers using BBBs. It is very pleasing that BBBs have now become part of the school and classroom practice.
Some statistics:
Weekly averages thus far for the year per grade are:
o Year 7: 205 o Year 10: 146
o Year 8: 356 o Year 11: 141
o Year 9: 265 o Year 12: 74The Years 11 and 12 averages are big improvements on previous years’ numbers. Year 10 numbers are below last
year’s cohort at the same time.
51 students have been awarded with raffle prizes so far. Every BBB awarded each week is placed in a draw
for the 3 prizes.
The top 5 faculties based on weekly averages:
o English: 490 o Maths: 71
o Literacy: 174 o PE: 60
o TAS: 159
Students, don’t forget to SUGGEST to your teachers to reward you with a BBB if you are doing your best – don’t just
EXPPECT it. And always uphold the Bushy Boy values of Safety, Learning and Respect; and do your best in every
lesson in every subject.
Busy Boy Wins the Best Speaker Award at 2021 MUNA
On Saturday 29 May, 3 Year 11 students represented Homebush Boys
HS at the Model United Nations Assembly. The event is organised and
run by Rotary clubs in Sydney. We would like to thank Peter Smith from
Strathfield Rotary Club for his continued support and for sponsoring our
team. The event was held in the ‘bear-pit’ in Parliament House.
Homebush Boys were asked to represent India in 3 current UN
Resolutions.
This prestigious annual event offers school students an opportunity to
debate real United Nations resolutions. And it is part of an international
competition in ‘normal’ times. But this year, due to VOVID-19
restrictions, only 10 teams were allowed in the competition. Normally
there would have been over 25 teams.
On Saturday, Avi Carleton, William Knight and Samee Seddiqi
Kamal represented India magnificently. The first resolution was
linked to fishing, the environment and international waters.
William was passionate about India’s needs and the importance
of fishing to the various Indian communities’ long-term survival.
This ruffled the feathers of Russia and the USA. After each
country’s speaker presented their 3-minute speech, there was a
vibrant period of rebuttals between the various nations. William
more than held his own and accused the USA of putting money
ahead of humanity.
Avi then presented a strong case for India’s response to COVID and the need for the world to unit so to help
countries struggling to contain the pandemic. Samee then attacked China for its ‘hostile’ response at the 2
countries’ shared border. This also created strong reactions from China and her allies.Ultimately, the winning team was the school representing Russia and the team representing France was highly recommended. The highest individual prize was awarded to William as the best speaker on the day. A big thanks to the 3 men for the research, their preparations and their performances on the day. They were confident, determined and articulate. They are, also, great ambassadors for our school.
Ms Emily Yong
Rel. H/T English
Refugee Co-ordinator
It has been a wonderful start to the year with many fantastic learning opportunities
occurring in the English Faculty. As Mr Elaro is Relieving Deputy Principal, I will be
undertaking the role of the Relieving Head Teacher English for the remainder of 2021. We
are thankful this year has we have been able to teach face to face with our students in the
classroom.
Year 12 English Advanced were fortunate enough to have two
educators from the Bell Shakespeare Company deliver an
informative and engaging presentation on Shakespeare’s history
play, King Henry IV, Part 1. In the hall, the students were able to
gain a deeper understanding of the requirements of their
prescribed text for Module B – Critical Study of Literature. The
presentation took place in Week 3 this term, a few weeks before
their assessment task, providing a strong contextual foundation
for their essay writing.
On studying Shakespeare, a handful of students will have the
opportunity from Year 10 to experience a live performance of
Macbeth early next term at the Seymour Centre for next term.
All Year 10 students will be studying the Scottish play next term
and the teachers are very excited about teaching this play about
ambition and power.
(Year 12 English Advanced classes in the hall for Bell Shakespeare presentation)
Public Speaking News
On Friday, 14th May, Shakthikram Kulandaivel and I, Vasanth Kumaralingam, represented our school at the 3rd
South Sydney Western Local Final of the Plain English Public Speaking Competition via Zoom. Due to COVID
precautions, we had to resort to this online mode which was a unique experience for all competitors from the
participating schools as well. The day started off with the prepared speeches and then ended with the impromptu
speeches.
Unfortunately, we did not advance to the next round, however, the experience, which Mrs Sahay provided us with,
proved to be very useful and informative. Not only was I able to catch wind of my peers and their public speaking
abilities, it was also a chance for me to hear much needed feedback, which will be crucial when I speak in public in
future. I am very grateful for this opportunity and look forward to participating next year.
by Vasanth Kumaralingam (Year 11)Debating:
Year 8 Round 1
On the 24th of May 2021, the HBHS Year 8 debating team took part in their first debate against Strathfield South
High School. The boys were anxious but excited as they strolled into the board room, eagerly waiting to find out
what the topic of discussion would be. The topic “Year 7 & 8 should learn self-defence at school” was agreed upon
by both teams and then their hour of planning time commenced. SSHS chose to be the affirmative, with HBHS taking
the negative side.
The boys used their planning time wisely, discussing various perspectives as well as possible rebuttals. Some of their
main arguments were centred on the dangers/impractical logistics of teaching self-defence in a school
environment, as well as precious time being taken away from all other core areas of the curriculum.
After some technical issues, the debate finally commenced and our Homebush team presented themselves
eloquently and with great confidence. They raised valid points and expressed themselves clearly. The adjudicator
was highly impressed, and our Year 8 Bushy boys came out victorious!
This was an extremely pleasing result and a great start to the competition. They have spent their Friday mornings
hard at work, learning about and refining their skills in the art of persuasion. We wish all our debaters the best of
luck in their future debates!Ms. Lisa Brien English Teacher Marie Bashir Public School Science Taster Lesson On Tuesday 8 June, Year 6 boys from Marie Bashir Public School attended a Science taster lesson run by our Head Teacher Science Mr Singh and volunteer Year 10 students. Three practical stations were set up the fields of Physics, Biology and Chemistry to give our visitors a taste of what studying Science is like at Homebush Boys High School. The boys enjoyed being in a science lab experimenting with electric circuits, microscopes and flame tests. The experience was also valuable for our students, who guided the boys through each station and were excellent advocates for the study of Science at our school. It was wonderful to see their leadership skills in action. Thank you to Mr Singh and our Year 10 helpers Jackson Ayoub, Aman Jifry, Venkatvidipreddy Mallemala, Aryan Rodrigues, Aarav Sharma and Kelvin Chen for building positive connections with our local primary school, as well as volunteering their time to create a meaningful Science experience for our future students.
Ms Christina Papavramidis
Head Teacher HSIE & Prefect Coordinator
2021 Australian Geography Competition
Students from Years 7, 11 and 12 Geography tested their geographical skills and knowledge
against students from all around Australia in the 2021 Australian Geography Competition.
It has been another challenging year for schools with the ongoing effects of the pandemic, so we were happy to
still be able to give our students the opportunity to test themselves against students from all around Australia, with
over 65,000 students entering the competition this year. The Competition is aimed at encouraging student interest
in geography and to reward student excellence.
We recently received the results and we were overwhelmed with how well the students of HBHS performed.
Of the fifty students who completed the exam, four students ranked in the top 10% of the state receiving High
Distinctions, two students received Distinctions, nine received Credits and the remainder received Participation
awards.
Congratulations to the following boys for their excellent results:
High Distinctions: Credits:
Adem Karaaslan (Year 7) Odysseas Lagos (Year 7)
William Knight (Year 11) Andy Lam (Year 7)
Sean McGlade (Year 11) Jadyen Lee (Year 7)
Nikhith Pagadala (Year 12) Harsha Mahrndran (Year 7)
Distinctions: Sione Taufa (Year 7)
Soban Hanif (Year 11) Haydar Iqbal (Year 11)
Nathan Ng (Year 12) Rilex Doan (Year 11)
PJ Pene (Year 12)
Joseph Wang (Year 12)Year 11 Geography Fieldwork Excursion Year 11 Geography participated in a fieldwork excursion to the Eastern Suburbs, where we walked the Bondi to Bronte Coastal walk. Students completed a booklet while on the excursion and we were required to witness a variety of geographical processes and gained an understanding on how one of Sydney’s greatest landmarks is utilised by tourists and inhabitants of the area. We discussed the local projects underway by the Waverly Council, the effects of each and how they positively impacted the area. The excursion, led by Ms Papas and Ms Sofy was enjoyed by all students, as both teachers possessed prior knowledge of the area which added to the experience of the trip. It was a great day and an enjoyable excursion. Written by Sean McGlade (Year 11)
Studying at Saturday School of Community Languages
A Wonderful Experience
The Saturday School of Community Languages offers students from language backgrounds
other than English a variety of opportunities which are different to those offered at
Homebush Boys High. It provides opportunities for students to broaden their academic
experiences, and develop social skills that are particular their cultural background.
As the son of migrants, learning a second language has consolidated my own sense of identity.
This is an important experience I have also observed among my peers who, like myself, study
their background language at SSCL.
Australia takes pride in its multiculturalism as does Homebush Boys High, but it is not possible
to offer here the vast range of community languages important to our students and their families as our school is
privileged to have enormous cultural diversity. This is why The Saturday School of Community Languages is such an
important resource available to all students at Homebush, as it offers a wide range of community languages for
study.
Learning another language is important for all students but this importance increases enormously when the
language studied is that of the student’s cultural background as it exposes students to their cultural background
and history, and expands the student’s general knowledge of their culture heritage. This is the opportunity provided
by SSCL.
As with any school experience, one of the most enjoyable experiences of attending Saturday School is that it allows
the building of friendships and provides opportunities for students to engage socially outside of the day school
environment. It therefore allows students to broaden their social networks.
Language learning is an excellent way to engage students with different cultures and provide a learning experience
with other numerous benefits which are not provided by day-schools. Attending SSCL every Saturday morning from
8.30 am and studying my background language, which will now count towards my HSC, has truly been an
exceptional experience that I believe all students with a background language other than English should consider
experiencing.
Written by Anargyros Kallos (Year 11)Martyn Bawden
Literacy Program
Year 7
First Accelerated Reader reports will be included with Semester reports, outlining each boy’s
reading record and levels of comprehension demonstrated so far. Some boys have done really
well, and will be acknowledged for their efforts.
REMEMBER
at least 20 minutes of reading per evening is needed, on Accelerated Readers!
Year 8
During subject selection evening, on 22nd June, parents will also be given vital information about Minimum
Standards (literacy & numeracy) required for the HSC. This information is immensely important, and all parents are
advised to make this evening an absolute priority!
Writing tasks were also held in all Year 8 courses during Semester 1, and these results will now be analysed to
determine those students who need extra support with their writing. Parents, you will be informed if your son is in
this group.
Year 7 & Year 9 Students
NAPLAN on-line tests are now over for the year, and it is expected that results will be available to schools and
parents in about August. Many thanks to all parents for supporting their sons through this test period.
Year 10 & Year 11 Students
All Year 10 and 11 students have now had opportunities to sit for HSC Minimum Standards tests in reading, writing
and numeracy. In each case, results have been forwarded to Students Online accounts, to which all students have
access via their NESA identification numbers.
For those boys who have been previously unsuccessful in any Minimum Standards tests, further test opportunities
and support will be available, each Term. If any parents are uncertain of their sons’ Minimum Standards status, or
details of further test opportunities and support, they are very welcome to call me at the school.
All students
Don’t forget - Homework Help is available, after school for one hour in the library, on each Monday and Tuesday
of the school Term. Assistance, especially in literacy, is available at these times. Make use of this valuable time!
Also, please contact me for details of any recent State-wide literacy & numeracy tests, and what they show about
your sons’ progress.
Finally, please take up every offer of additional support which is offered to your son by the school, whether that is
in the form of withdrawal support, or completion of extra work packages which are designed to correct weaknesses
– and actively encourage your son in engaging with these opportunities.Michelle Degney
COVID Tutoring Literacy Support
The free COVID tutoring is back and on offer to more students in semester 2. It aims to
improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for many students and there are already great
success stories. Read below for more details.
In 2020, the NSW Government announced a one-off funding support program for schools
to deliver intensive tutoring for those students who have been disadvantaged by the move
to remote and/or flexible learning. The purpose of the COVID Intensive Learning Support
program is to deliver intensive small group tuition for students who have been identified by teachers as those who
would benefit from a small group setting to achieve their potential. The school has begun delivering this program
through the employment of qualified and experienced classroom teachers.
COVID Intensive Learning Program our approach. What is involved?
Each cycle, students meet with their COVID Learning Program tutor. Students are withdrawn from classes to attend
the tutoring sessions in small groups. During tutoring sessions students will focus on literacy and numeracy skills
through their usual classroom content. The tutor can also help with formative homework tasks and assessment
tasks. Homework club (tutoring) will run Monday and Tuesday after school from 3.10pm to 4.10pm in the school
library. During Term 3, Year 12 study periods there will be literacy support in the library for Years 11 and 12.
An email will be sent to students to advise them of the periods. The logistics in running such a program in the school
requires various models of withdrawal. It is difficult to meet the demands of the timetable and flexibility on periods
students are withdrawn. Where ever possible students will be withdrawn from numeracy or literacy-based classes.
During sport on Wednesday afternoons there will be literacy and numeracy support for Year 12.
How are students identified?
Identification is based on a few factors drawn together and includes students who have been identified by teachers
that will benefit from a small group setting to achieve their potential. Parents have the option to withdraw their
son from the program if identified.
Is my son involved?
If your son is involved in the current cycle you will have been informed through a personal email from the principal.
How do I know what has been covered during tutoring?
We are currently looking at how we monitor student engagement and activity during these sessions and the best
way to communicate this to parents. You can always ask your son what he has been doing during these sessions.
Further questions about COVID tutoring:
If you have further questions about COVID tutoring, please phone or email the school asking to be directed to:
Deputy Principal: Mrs Dalamagas Head teacher Learning Support: Ms Horiatopoulos
Numeracy Support: Ms Worth Literacy Support: Mrs DegneyKate Fitzsimmons Head Teacher PDHPE Athletics Carnival On the 17th May 2021, Homebush Boys held their annual School Athletics Carnival. The sun was shining, the hurdles came out as the first event of the day and off the boys went. The attendance and participation at all the events was high. The highlight of the day, was of course the Teacher verse Student relay race. Now, although, Miss Napoli got the teachers off to great start, the students had the last laugh and can hold onto bragging rights for another year. HBHS Sport Representatives This term has seen some of our boys experience excellent success at the Sydney North and CHS level. Terence Fusi and Kade Humphrey-Jones were successful in their trail for the Under 16's CHS Rugby Union side. Kade, unfortunately, became injured before the tournament. At the Sydney North Opens Rugby League trial both Ibrahim El-Cheikh and Amir Yatim made the Presidents Sydney North team. They both also went away to compete in selection for the CHS Opens Rugby League. Again, injury would hamper one of our student’s chances with Ibrahim, injuring his knee. Success was had though for Amir who made the State team and has gone away to compete, in the hope of Australian School Boys selection.
Futsal Team Our under 16's boys competed in the futsal competition on the 17th June. Going undefeated in all the group stages and being favourites to win the competition, we were extremely unfortunate to be knocked out of the quarter finals 3 – 2 in golden goal. The boys from Homebush showed great tenacity and sportsmanship throughout the entire competition and from my understanding, were the only team to not concede a red or yellow card. This shows great maturity and respect to all players and officials in the competition. A big thank you to: Abdelelah Faisal, Ali Hammoud, Anthony Mylonas, Noorullah Afzaly, Michael Saad, Harry McArthur, Mico Pihl-Morison, Mohammed Rana, Abubakarr Sesay for participating and making the day very enjoyable.
Iqbal Singh Head Teacher Science Our Year 11 Biology Classes engaged in an excursion to Taronga Zoo as part of their studies. This excursion was designed as part of their Depth study. The students got to study different aspects of Zoo life and the animals and their environments. Throughout the day it was mentioned by the Zoo staff that our boys were well behaved and they were very impressed by the way our boys conducted themselves during the excursion. Not only that, some of the members of the public also appreciated the way our boys conducted themselves. HBHS students were very courteous towards some of the younger children by making way for them to have a better view of the animals. Overall it was a great excursion that allowed our students to have an up-close look at zoo life and deepen their understanding for their Depth Study.
Mr Sam Widmer Head Teacher Support Unit It has been an extremely busy term for our boys in the Support Unit. They successfully completed all four NAPLAN exams earlier in the term and lived to tell the tale! The boys have been working very hard towards meeting their academic outcomes in all subjects which has been reflected in their report comments. Science practicals with Mrs Lee every fortnight has seen the boys increase and excel in their knowledge of chemical substances and reactions. The hands-on lessons have also been replicated back in their classrooms. All students have thoroughly enjoyed TAS this semester and are excited at the prospect of swapping between cooking lessons to metal and woodwork lessons next term. They have also started preparing parts of the playground for a gardening program next term when the weather is warmer. This has included toiling the soil and collaborating with the environmental club to facilitate a worm farm. We have also started to build our own inventory of sports equipment with the help of Miss Fitzsimmons. Our boys have unpacked and stored it neatly in our store room. The equipment is a great asset and gets a lot of use during PE lessons and break times. Lastly, we ended the term with an excursion to North Strathfield Kingpin for tenpin bowling and laser tag. This was just reward for the amount of hard work and BBB awards the boys had achieved. The Support Unit will come back next term to new outdoor furniture as part of our plan to create engaging outdoor learning spaces. This includes new lunch tables to sit on and play cards as well as flexible outdoor learning tables for lessons. We are excited for next term and have a lot to look forward to, including a peer reading program with Year 10 boys will help to strengthen the rapport with older students whilst meeting outcomes in literacy. We wish everyone a nice and relaxing break!
Mr Abderrahim Abbou Rel H/T Technology and Applied Studies Word from student in Electronics Class Today, I Syed Shuaib Warisi of Year 11 would like to share an insight of what you can expect being an electronics student of HBHS. You can’t spell ITE without Mr. Madakasira in HBHS. Just like most students who choose a new unit, are often anxious and scared about their progress in the subject. But our electronics staff has a wonderful and a warm method of teaching. Homebush offers a different scope of learning methods and is proven by the number of band 6’s most students achieve with the help of the excellent staff in HBHS. Electronics is a huge field, from digital speedometers to integrated circuits and Nano electronics. In ITE, we have completed multiple practical projects. The first one namely Three-LED-Chaser; in which we had to create a loop between three LEDs that light up in a cyclical pattern. Elective subjects hold a lot of power in personal development and is the medium where we learn a lot of skills such as time-management, communication, team-work, critical thinking, problem-solving skills. We roughly get around a term to finish with our projects depending on how complicated the work is. Later in the term, we went on an excursion to Wavetronics electronics manufacturing company which we explored and we observed how things are manufactured and put together in production. Some of the things we had a look at were machine soldering, traffic light manufacturing, nanotechnology, mechatronics, machine learning, flexible circuits and other great things. In our second project, we created a skeet shoot game, which the name says itself, is shooting game where we have to time our shots to land it on the correct target. The point of the game is to increase our reaction time and most of all, shooting skills. Electronics is a boundless subject for more of a hands-on work force. Not only will you learn great skills but you can also get a job in the real world. Syed Shuaib Warisi (Year 11)
Ms Mervat Bolbol Technology and Applied Studies Homebush Boys High School Bush Bulletin Report by Joseph Faltas 7TECA2 Since the beginning of this year, my year 7 class has been studying Food and Agriculture. In this unit of work our class was taught the basic skills of cooking in the everyday kitchen. We also grew plants in the Homebush Boys garden and maintained them. Over the past two terms, students have been learning how to create simple dishes that the whole family can enjoy. Some examples are burgers, sausage rolls, coconut balls, chocolate coconut balls and many, many more scrumptious dishes. During that time, students have also learned all the safety rules about cooking in the kitchen. This is necessary because the kitchen is full of knives and hot liquids. If you were to ask any student in the school how they feel about food technology, just know that they will say that they feel extremely fortunate that Homebush Boys High School was able to provide them with an amazing place. As the food technology course progressed, students were becoming hands-on in the cooking program and have learned a variety of skills that are important in the kitchen.
Mr Elie Kisso
Year 7 Adviser
Term 2 Round up
What a fantastic start to the 2021 school calendar for Year 7. The students have settled into
school well and have been extremely busy over the course of the first two terms with key
events such as the transition week, camp, athletics carnival, sport days, peer support and so
much more. Please ensure that all students are making informed decisions about the
Summer Sport selections such as cost and the ability to travel to the venues.
Term 2 Assembly: “Digital Cultures”
On Monday 21st of June, Year 7 participated in their second-Year assembly for
the Year. Arvind Lo was the Master of Ceremonies for the assembly which had
a focus on, “Digital Cultures”. The session was hosted by Lauren Di Biasi the
school’s Student Support Officer. The students contributed to a discussion
which involved the different forms of social media that is used by students
these days and the importance of certain messages going out online and the
effects it may have on others. Students were then asked a few questions and
stood on separate sides of the room to gauge their opinion on what they
thought would be deemed okay or not okay. It was great to see all our students
participating and providing reasoning for their decisions. We hope all our students gained some valuable knowledge
about their actions in the digital world and that we all have a part to play when it comes to our actions online. Some
of these fantastic resources can be located on the e-safety commission website:
https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people
It was also great to see some of students collect awards for fantastic efforts in the Accelerated Reader Program and
the Australian Geography Competition. Well done!
Year 7 Multicultural Day
Term 2 – Week 7 was the annual HBHS Multicultural Day. Year 7 had the opportunity to witness and participate in
their first ever Multicultural Day. It was definitely a great atmosphere with the students enjoying a variety of
performances throughout the day and indulging in the tasty food from all the cultures. This day highlights how
diverse our school is and would hope to see more of our students participating in the stalls next year.Happy Holidays To all our family and friends of the HBHS community we wish you a safe and happy mid-year break. Hope to see all our students recharged for Term 3.
Mr Thomas Lee
Year 8 Adviser
So far Year 8 has had a fantastic 2021 at HBHS.
They have begun to grow into mature high schoolers who are not only ready to take on the
challenges of high school academic life but also participate in extracurricular activities within
our school community.
Our student’s enthusiasm to participate and excel would not be possible without the
support and guidance of their parents and carers. HBHS is grateful to you for this ongoing
support.
As a teacher and a Year Adviser I am blessed to be able to
work and guide this cohort of students.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Ms Misbah Khan and
Ms Catherine Player who have spent a lot of energy and time
to support me with this cohort.
I look forward to seeing you all again in the new term and
wish you all a wonderful and safe holiday.
The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club is an initiative that was designed to give students a small bite of food to fill them up
for the day ahead of them. Volunteers arrive at school by 7:30am and go to room 59 to start preparing
the breakfast. After all that has been done, the volunteers bring the food up to the staff common room
and Ms Di Biasi helps us set up the space for the food. After that, we clean up the kitchen while Ms Di
Biasi helps everyone know what food is what. The Breakfast Club ends at 8:45am, just as period 1 starts.
My favourite thing about The Breakfast Club is that I can help the school community with a group of
friends with me. The Breakfast Club truly is an amazing initiative that helps students come together over
delicious food.
Anthony Sumadiredja (Year 8)
The Environment Club
The Environment Club is a welcoming club that hosts their
meetings every Friday. In the Environment Club we discuss
topics such as the environment, school and global events. Time
to time we get to join in events such as the workshops and
travel to places. Currently in the Environment Club we set up a
worm farm and are planning to place recycling bins in all
classrooms, this prevents plastic waste. The Environment Club
is a friendly group that is looking forward to new members
joining soon.
Justin Ham (Year 8)Fig Tree Cafe
The Fig Tree Cafe is a school run club that serves hot
beverages to students and teachers. These hot beverages
include hot chocolates and coffees. Personally, I enjoy the
people who work at The Fig Tree Cafe and the idea of
building work ethics. This helps you by gaining skills that will
help me in the future. The skills that The Fig Tree Cafe help
you build are Steaming Milk, grinding shots, knowing how to
operate the coffee machine and operate in a work
environment.
Harrison Gibbs (Year 8)
SRC
The Student Representative Council is elected by the members of every cohort. As an elected year 8
representative, we strive to make this school the best it could be for the needs of our year group. For
these first two terms we have already been involved in many fundraisers, school initiatives and
representing HBHS outside of school grounds. The SRC is about collaboration and teamwork and by
working with different years, we are able to gain knowledge and skill. Our focus is on school
fundraising, community fundraising and student wellbeing. Every term we aim to have one initiative
completed for each of our focuses.
Being an SRC representative, is a great opportunity to help better the school and help to make change.
We all want change and being on the SRC is the best way for it. We have helped promote the school,
held student competitions and been involved in fundraisers such as the recent school Doughnut Day.
Being in the SRC isn’t easy and there may be a lot of work involved but it is still one of my favourite
things to do and be a part of.
Yousef Adra (Year 8)The Interact Club
The Interact Club has been a great experience for me.
Interact club provides the opportunity to volunteer in
and outside of school.
Volunteering provides the opportunity to give back to
the community, collaborate with fellow volunteers and
is very rewarding. The teachers and executive team at
the Interact club are very supportive and encouraging.
So far, the Interact club has done the weekly Sunday
Markets where students are given the opportunity to
assist in the setup and pack up of stalls in the Concord
Markets, The World’s Greatest Shave that raised money
for the Leukaemia Foundation and most recently the
Red Shield Appeal where students went door to door
knocking on the weekend and raised money for the
Salvation Army.
Overall Interact club has provided great opportunities
and is a great way to further develop skills.
Youssef Tabikh (Year 8)
The Chess Club
The Chess Club is run every lunch time, it contains multiple
different teams from junior to senior, which all play games on
Friday afternoons against other schools. Students should
participate as it is a great experience to go to other schools and
represent the school. My experience was valuable with fellow
team members winning and losing some games but overall
coming 3rd in the league. I want to thank Mr Sivasothy for his
support and guidance of the chess club.
Henry Cheng (Year 8)Ms Michelle Coutinho Year 9 Adviser Another busy yet wonderful term with the Year 9 cohort who have been extremely active in both academic and extracurricular activities. Below is a snapshot of the last few weeks of Term 2. Sydney Thunder Leadership Forum Thank you to Sydney Thunder and Burn Bright Australia for an amazing leadership forum. The Year 9 boys who participated in the Sydney Thunder Leadership Program were invited to attend the day and enjoyed interacting with leaders from other schools. They walked away gaining new skills and confidence. The boys and I were so grateful to be part of such a great day.
Westconnex STEM Workshops An amazing opportunity for Year 9 students with Westconnex and Transurban. The students participating in the day were able to attend a STEM workshop where they were put into teams and each had to build a bridge and test it to destruction. The boys loved it and there are definitely some future engineers at Homebush Boys High School.
Recycling Bins As part of the Environment Club's goals for this year, we will be introducing paper recycling in all classrooms! As you may be aware we received an environmental grant earlier this year and we made this part of our proposal. The Year 9 Environment Club boys have spent a lot of time and effort preparing the bins. Worm Farm The Environment Club has also just started up a worm farm! This aims to utilise food waste and other organic materials from our school community and produce some nutrient rich fertiliser for our grounds (as we hope to do some planting around the school soon!). When teachers or students have any food scraps that they may not finish at lunch time, then they are able to use them as food. Worms will eat anything that was once living e.g. leftover vegetable scraps, fruit (not citrus) and vegetable peelings, tea leaves / bags and coffee grounds, egg shells or even newspaper. Environmental Workshops At the start of Term 3, the Year 9 students in the Environment Club will be undertaking some sustainability workshops with a local organisation. The aim is then to run some of these workshops with local primary schools to teach other students about sustainable strategies both at home and school. We will also be running some workshops in various year groups across HBHS in Term 4 so watch this space.
ENVIRONMENT CLUB
Student Report
The Environment Club has had a busy term planning and finalising various aspects of the grant as, already, Phase 1
successfully started to run with the delivery of the new paper recycling cardboard bins from EcoBin© which have
already been distributed to classrooms after assembly by members of the Environment Club.
The bins are part of the Environment and Sustainability grant applied for by the Environment Club to make an
impact on the school’s environment whilst ensuring more sustainable additions, and tackling environment related
concerns on a regular basis. As per the grant, Phase 1 has been a breakthrough for our school’s rubbish collection
system as it has been dedicated to the addition of new eco-friendly bins for segmenting rubbish within various
categories such as Paper recycling, Landfill and General recycling. This initiative will be the beginning of a series of
actions that are mainly targeted at better handling and segmentation of rubbish at Homebush Boys High School.
The blue paper bins have been the first addition to our classes as it has been noticed that a major segment of the
waste generated in class was paper. Hence, this has been targeted as the recycled cardboard bins aim to increase
awareness within students and staff to motivate them to place their recyclable paper in the allocated bins. The
collected paper will then be transported to a recycling plant by a partnering organisation. The introduction of the
blue bins, now, will be followed by the introduction of red landfill-only bins which are also expected to be welcomed
by the school’s caring students and teachers. Whilst this has been taking place, the Environment Club has been
getting ready for the Reverse Garbage excursion planned next term to gain better insights into the environmental
issues of today and their solutions.
During this time, the Environment Club has also been working on the installation of our brand-new worm farm. The
worm farm has been a great addition to the school and has been kindly provided by the Strathfield Council. The
introduction of Vermicompost is set to enable students to interact whilst educating them about the aspects of
composting and raising awareness about the need of sustainability and providing students a platform to gain
inspiration from. So far, the first tray of worms has been laid which are initially expected to grow with the farm
reaching its full potential within a year’s time.
Overall, this has been an exciting term for the squad as we had a chance to frequent interactions with the staff and
students to gain a better insight into the situations concerning the environment existing in the school and enforcing
solutions to noted problems. These solutions have been put forward by excellent and dedicated members and, as
always, are welcomed by our teacher Ms. Coutinho, who has been a wonderful support line for all members of the
club.
Rishik Vinnakota (Year 9)
Environment Club AdministratorMs Rashmi Singh Year 10 Adviser Year 10 have had a busy term this semester. They were provided with a lot of information about the choice of subject selection for their Preliminary and HSC courses at Homebush Boys High School. The Year Assembly on Tuesday, week 8, was chaired by Noah Raymond, and consisted of four speakers including, the Principal Mr Elgood and the Deputy Principal, Ms Dalamagas. Mr Elgood emphasised continued diligent effort towards learning as Year 10 are heading into the most significant and yet exciting years of their school life. Ms Dalamagas discussed the importance of attempting all the work and assessments task to the best of each individual’s abilities whilst maintaining the standard attendance at school. The NESA requirements is 85% and the DET is 95%. The school Student Support Officer, Ms Di Biasi, formally gave an introduction about her role in the school and discussed in detail, the harmful impact of drugs and Vaping among young children. Our Community Nurse, Ms Credaro also introduced herself to the Year 10 cohort and provided the scope of her role at Homebush Boys High School. She discussed the harmful impact of drugs and vaping in adolescents. She is available on Tuesdays. Mr Abbou, spoke about the ensuing Subject Selection night and importance of the correct student details registered with NESA. He provided each student with a NESA sheet with their current individual details on it and requested the students to provide the new details in case of changes. The Career Counsellor, Ms Anton has been working very hard with a group of Year 10 boys who are choosing different pathways to the HSC. She has been in engaging actively with Petersham, Auburn and Sydney TAFE to find suitable courses for the students and enrolling them successfully and helping them to obtain their ROSA certificate. In Week 9, Year 10 were privy to detailed presentations by the Head Teachers of all the faculties in Homebush Boys High. They were given an overview of different courses run by the faculties, course prerequisites and HSC expectations while discussing exemplary achievements of past students. In Week 10, Tuesday evening, Mr Elgood, Ms Dalamagas and Ms Achmad (Head Teacher Teaching and Learning) made different presentations to the parents of Year 10 students emphasising once again the subject selection options and what the student should think about prior to choosing a subject. Next term, there will be parent teacher and DP meetings to finalise the subject selection for each of the Year 10 students who are aiming to do the HSC and achieve an ATAR.
Year 10 has had a vaccination day recently when they received a Meningococcal shot. They braved the needle and they are now safe from this life-threatening infection. Many congratulations to Hadi Margan and Jeth Rinakama for being selected as NRL In Harmony advocates from Homebush Boys High School. This program was on for 5 weeks and for the graduation, the selected students went to Woy Woy with Ms Di Biasi.
Ms Sharon Cuneen
Year 11 Adviser
Year 11 have been doing some really good things as stated by their Deputy Ms Catherine
Player. Some of the recent achievements by Year 11 include:
William Knight being named speaker of the Day at the Model United Nations Assembly at
Parliament House.
Amir Yatim and Ibrahim El Cheikh trialling for the CHS Rugby League team with Yatim making
the squad.
Jack Webster winning the all-round gold medal at the National Gymnastics Championships held In Queensland.
Tali Lea being chosen as a youth Ambassador for the NRL from the In League in Harmony Program.
Kade Humphreys-Jones being selected in the CHS 16 years Rugby Union team.
Casper Liu performing brilliantly at the recent Zone Athletics carnival making it through to the Regional Athletics in
the Long Jump, 200m, 100m and 17 years 4x100m relay.
During their fortnightly assembly time, Year 11 have been given presentations from several Universities so that they
can begin to think about some options for 2022. They have also had presentations from our School Counsellor,
Ms Gudgeon and our Student Support Officer, Ms Bi Biasi explaining the support that the students have at school.
Most recently, they had a presentation on the ALARM writing Scaffold by Mr Bawden and the boys are encouraged
to use this when preparing extended response writing tasks. Ms Papas also explained to Year 11, the process of
nominating to be a Prefect in 2021/2022. I encourage all of Year 11 to consider going through this process for their
own development.
An important Right of Passage in Year 12 is having their senior class jacket. It is a lengthy ordering process and in
order for the boys to have their jackets ready for Term 4 (when they go into Year 12) they must pay $90.00 to the
front office and see Ms Cuneen to finalise their order before the last day of Term 2, Friday 25 June, 2021.
Our Year 11 Music class this year is combined with the Strathfield Girls class and the boys travel to the Strathfield
campus for all of their music lessons. Here are some thoughts from two of our music students.
“The time taken out of PDHPE lessons to travel between schools has not hindered the overall performance and
enjoyment of PDHPE class. The travel distance is enjoyable as the scenery is quite nice. The walks are long but rather
enjoyable. Overall, my experience has been eventful with no negatives to report”.
Angelo Pulie (Year 11)
“Overall, my experience of going to Strathfield has been a nice and pleasant one because the school (Strathfield
Girls) is very welcoming and the class is not too awkward as we all get along pretty well. My one problem, however,
is that getting there without a bus is pretty tedious as it causes us to sometimes miss parts of lessons”.
Rhys Leong (Year 11)
Angelo Pulie and Rhys Leong
(Year 11 Music)You can also read
